Death Will Bring Us Together
by ashleezak
Summary: Rose can finally give the Doctor forever, just like she promised, but is the price worth paying?  10Roseish, JackMartha friendship.
1. Chapter 1

Standard disclaimers apply. I do not own or claim to own anything related to Doctor Who.

Death Will Bring Us Together

Martha Jones sat on the park bench, soaking up the late April sunshine. Her life was the stuff of sci-fi novels, and she loved every moment of it. The Doctor had shown her a whole new world, scary beyond belief, but beautiful and exciting in its own way. She smiled as someone rode the lift up to the surface.

Jack hurried his pace, spying Martha relaxing on the seat. Flopping down beside her, he flashed one of his 'I'm too sexy' grins. "So, what brings you here on your day off, Dr. Jones?"

"Why do you call me Dr. Jones and refuse to give Owen the same courtesy?" she returned, dodging his question with one of her own.

"Because it doesn't irritate you like it does him, and you haven't answered my question."

She sighed. "It was just too nice a day to stay inside." Grinning, she poked him in the side. "Besides, you're here. And if I went down there, I'll bet at least two others would be, too."

He laughed and held his hands up in surrender. "You've got me." Stretching, he threw his arm along the back of the bench.

Martha took the invitation, scooting over and leaning against him. Jack was definitely not relationship material, but he was worth any affection she could get. They sat there in a comfortable silence for several long minutes.

The delivery girl didn't catch Martha's attention the first three trips past. The fourth, however, drew her notice. She was looking for someone intently. As the girl caught her eye, she smiled and walked straight over.

Straightening, Martha felt the tension build as Jack whispered, "Anyone you know?"

"No."

The girl walked up. "Martha Jones?" she asked breathlessly.

"Yes."

"Here you go," and the girl handed over an envelope. "Sign here, please."

Martha scrawled her name, all the while absolutely baffled by what she held in her hand. As soon as the girl left, she tore open the envelope. A single folded sheet of paper was inside.

"So, who knew that you'd be here today?" Jack asked.

"Nobody, myself included. Spur of the moment decision, this was," Martha replied distantly. Reading the message, she reread it before looking up. Handing it to Jack, she pulled her mobile from her pocket.

He looked up. "Yeah. Call the Doctor."


	2. Chapter 2

The Doctor frowned at the console, trying his best to ignore the steady stream of inane chatter in the background. There were days when he questioned his sanity for allowing Donna Noble to remain, but after Martha left, it was just too quiet. He needed someone around.

He missed Rose, but the pain of losing her was starting to dull. She'd taken a place in his world like no one else. He cared for all his companions, and had grieved them in one way or another as they came and went, but she was the only one who had worked so hard to spite the universe and try to give him forever.

The chatter still rattled on, and he grimaced. Blimey but that woman could talk! Making up his mind, he set the coordinates, holding on as the TARDIS took off.

"Some warning next time, eh?" Donna griped as she grabbed the railing.

He cast her an odd glance and didn't say anything.

Donna knew very well that she was irritating him. The alien didn't even have the courtesy to acknowledge her when she really was trying to help. She'd had to find him after their Christmas adventure, for which she really hadn't thanked him for helping her avoid marrying Lance.

Her name had been Rose, and while Donna had discovered her name, the Doctor really didn't give out much more information. From her own explorations, she knew that Rose's room hadn't been changed, even though he'd had at least one other companion since Christmas.

He still grieved. She knew that he wasn't like humans, but even she could see that he hadn't moved on. However, nothing that she knew anything about interested him in the least.

"So, where are we off to, then?"

The TARDIS shook as it settled heavily in a landing. The Doctor turned to her, smiling brightly as if nothing was wrong in the universe. "So then, up for some shopping?"

She stared at him for a second before grabbing her stuff and running after him. The man was insane.

The place that he brought her was even crazier. Colors, sounds, and smells overwhelmed her. "Where are we?"

"New Earth in the year five billion one hundred six. This is the city of New Istanbul. Marketplace to the universe." He wondered around, peering at wares and strolling down the street like nothing was wrong.

Shaking her head, she immersed herself in the experience. Listening with half an ear as he rambled on about the particulars of this particular bazaar, she shopped with abandon.

The Doctor tried to focus on anything but the last two times he'd been on this world. Since New New York was halfway across the planet, it was a little easier to ignore. He noticed when Donna started losing interest in him and got more immersed in the wares offered. Stepping back where he could stand still and watch her, he tried to imagine Rose's reaction to this. His eyes closed against the thought.

A tug on his coat drew his attention. A small girl stood beside him, his coat clenched in her fist. He knelt down beside her, grinning slightly. "Hello. What can I do for you, then?"

"I have a message for you," she said.

"Oh? Really? And what's that?" he asked curiously.

"Death will bring us together."

Frowning, the Doctor stared at her. "That's a rather strange message. Who sent that?"

"The Bad Wolf."

His breath rushed from his lungs, leaving him weak. "What?" he demanded, reaching out to grab her arm.

She slipped from his weak grasp, disappearing in the crowd. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver, but the sheer mass of bodies masked the weak readings he picked up. Looking around, he scanned the crowd for the girl. She was gone.

"So what's this then?" Donna asked him, startling him out of his search.

He glanced down at the gadget she held in her hand. "That's a shoe replicator." He grabbed her arm and began pulling her back toward the TARDIS. "We're leaving."

"Wait! I haven't paid for that!" she screeched.

An irate shopkeeper stormed after them, stopping only when the Doctor thrust his hand in his pocket and threw a handful of coins behind him. The shopkeeper dove for them, fighting off the surge of people who also went for the money.

"What's wrong, then?"

"We're leaving."

"I noticed that." She conserved her words, since he wasn't letting up and he wasn't answering. The crowd parted in front of them, and Donna couldn't help but wonder if the man was ever happy. Memories of him taking care of that scorpion woman flashed through her head.

Bursting through the doors of the TARDIS, Donna leaned against one of the columns, panting for breath. The Doctor headed straight for the console just as a ringing sounded.

She watched as he answered a rather old-fashioned telephone. Shrugging, Donna shook her head. It was just another anachronistic feature of this incredible time-traveling machine.

He slammed down the receiver and began punching buttons and pulling levers as fast as he could.

"Where to now?" she asked.

"Cardiff."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: As I've seen very little of Torchwood, being a backward American, I hope that the characters in this chapter are not too out of character.

Martha and Jack sat in his office, staring at the letter on his desk. She had called the Doctor twenty minutes ago. As if that were a signal, they heard the engines of the TARDIS outside.

They both made a mad dash for the Hub where the TARDIS was materializing. Owen, Gwen, and Tosh were all around it, guns drawn. Jack and Martha both ran up. "Hold your fire!" Jack bellowed.

"Why? This thing just appeared here!" Owen snapped back.

"Because your bullets would ricochet and I really don't want you killing someone. I know who this is, and I invited him."

"You _invited_ something that just appears like this? Even I can see that this is _alien_," Gwen protested.

The doors flew open, and the Doctor stepped out, trench coat flaring out dramatically. "Where is it?" he asked Jack.

"In my office."

He, Jack, and Martha disappeared into the office, leaving a very confused Torchwood crew to stare at a ginger woman who stuck her head out of the doors. "Who are you people?" she demanded.

"We should be asking the same of you," Owen said, folding his arms and staring at her in disgust.

"Where'd the Doctor go?"

Tosh gasped. "The Doctor? That wasn't the Doctor. The Doctor is an older man with a northern accent."

"The Doctor?" Gwen asked, looking around. "Who's that?"

"No, that's the Doctor," Donna insisted.

"Didn't you ever read your Torchwood employee charter? He's the reason Torchwood was founded," Owen stated smugly.

"That's impossible. That man's only, what? Mid-thirties? Torchwood was founded by Queen Victoria!" Gwen protested.

The questions degraded into an argument, with everyone shouting to get their questions answered and ignoring others.

Jack ignored his team as he and Martha took the seats they'd just vacated. He waved a hand toward an empty seat, but the Doctor stood, picking up the letter and reading it. Then he reread it. After his third time, he collapsed back against the desk. Looking up at his friends, he asked, "Okay, so what happened?"

"I was just sitting on a bench outside here when this girl came up and delivered it. Made me sign for it and everything," Martha explained.

"How did she know where to find you?"

"I have no idea. I didn't even decide to go there until about fifteen minutes earlier." She looked at Jack. "I had a day off and I just decided that the day was too nice to pass up."

"What about you?" Jack asked, watching the Doctor closely.

"What about me?"

"You got here awfully quick."

He rubbed a hand over his face. Jack saw too many years and sorrows reflecting out of the Doctor's eyes. "All right. I got a message, too. Just like this one."

"Really? Where and when?" Jack fired off.

"New Earth, five billion, one hundred and six."

"Oh, you went back to New New York?" Martha asked, for once familiar with the planet.

"No. I took Donna shopping in New Istanbul."

Martha's face fell. "Who's Donna?" she asked.

"Just someone that I had helped out once. Cheeky woman tracked me down the next time she got in trouble and I haven't been able to get rid of her since." For the first time, a ghost of a smile crossed his face.

"So, where'd you leave her?" Jack asked.

"In the TARDIS." He turned and peered out the window. "Although, like all my companions, she didn't stay put."

Jack laughed at the chaos that reigned between the redhead and the Torchwood team. "I think she's winning."

They watched silently for a moment until Martha spoke again. "Who's the Bad Wolf?" She started as both men spun around to stare at her. "Well? I mean, it's a valid question. I get a message from someone called Bad Wolf and you two seem to know exactly who he is, so spill."

"She."

"What?"

The Doctor looked at her. "Rose Tyler is Bad Wolf."

"Oh." She frowned as she tried to put that in line with what she knew of Rose. "So she was Bad Wolf when she turned Jack into the eternal boy."

Both men stared at her in astonishment. "How did you know that?" Jack sputtered.

"End of the universe. I could hear your whole conversation over the speakers," she admitted shamefaced.

"Explains a lot, actually," Jack admitted. "So, do you have any idea how Ms. Tyler is sending us messages across the void?"

The Doctor turned and stared at her soberly. "I have no clue."

"What's this bit? 'Death will bring us together'?" Jack asked, reading from the letter. "Is that what you got?"

"Yeah." He sighed. "Rose is supposed to be safe in Pete's World. I saw her. Unhappy, but safe."

"How long ago was that, Doc?"

Casting a disapproving glance at Jack for his use of the nickname, the Doctor shrugged. "I'm not sure if time flows exactly the same over there, but it's been about two years as the TARDIS flies."

"A lot can happen in two years," Martha said quietly. Looking up at the two men, she smiled sadly. "You guys have traveled. I mean, really? For me, it's been four years since Canary Wharf. But linearly, only a little over two. Who's to say that things aren't like that for her?" Seeing that she had their attention fully, she continued. "I've traveled with you, Doctor. Rose was with you longer than I was, right? You change us. For the better, but being around you and seeing the things you show us changes us. Do you think that she's been sitting around, living a normal life or is she out there chasing aliens and defending the earth?"

A cold chill worked its way through the Doctor as Martha inadvertently echoed his own words. "She works for the parallel version of Torchwood."

"So she's out there rushing headlong into danger, just like always," Jack observed.

Martha stared at the Doctor, fascinated by the pride and horror written across his face. "I'm not saying that she's dead, I'm just saying that we don't look at life the same anymore. There's something more than just living for living's sake."

There was no way to continue as the door burst open. "You can't go in there!" Owen shouted, trying to physically pull Donna away from the door.

"Doctor! I will not put up with this git telling me what I can and can't do!" she screeched back, holding onto the door jamb with all her strength.

An ear-piercing whistle cut through the chaos, leaving a dead silence in its wake. More than one person stared at Martha as if they'd never seen her before. Jack took advantage of the quiet. "Owen! I've got her. Go ahead and get back to work. And leave the TARDIS alone!" he shouted, seeing the look Tosh was giving the blue box.

The Doctor took Donna by the arm, guiding her to a seat. "I don't suppose you'd be happy going back and waiting in the TARDIS," he observed dryly.

"Not on your life! I'm not going back out there with those…_people_!" she spat.

"Fine. Sit there and shut up."

She opened her mouth but closed it when she noticed that no one was paying her the least bit of attention.

"So, Rose is most probably living life as she always did," Jack said, bringing them back to the previous conversation. "At least there's no barrage balloons."

"No, they have zeppelins," the Doctor said, a slight grin tugging at his mouth. "I always said that she set new standards for jeopardy-friendly."

"Now, that she did."

Martha felt a little left out of the reminiscing, so she took another look at the letter. "So, is she still Bad Wolf?"

"Bad Wolf?" Donna asked from behind them. "I've seen that before."

"What?" All three of them whirled to face the redhead. "Where?"

"There was graffiti on the Underground stop I used to take. It was weird, because in all the four years that I saw it, no one ever painted over it." She shrugged. "I just thought it was kids or something."

"Rose scattered the words through space and time to lead her back to the Game Station," the Doctor explained. Turning, he looked at Martha. "No, she's not. I took the vortex back out of her. She was fine after that."

Jack gracefully collapsed in his chair, sweeping his feet up on the desk in one motion. "So, someone is sending us messages through space and time? Given her history, I'm going to assume it's Rose. And no comments about my ass," he flirted, pointing at Martha, who grinned unrepentantly.

"Down, boy," the Doctor said, his voice lighter than it had been since he showed up. He suddenly smacked his forehead with his palm, whirling toward the door.

"What?" Jack and Martha said together, getting up and following when he didn't answer. Donna stared for a second before following hard on their heels.

The Doctor ran back to the TARDIS, drawing curious stares as he threw the door open and ran in at full speed. The stares didn't relent when three more people followed him in.

"I always knew that Jack liked close quarters, but that's a bit much even for him," Owen sniped.

"Why does he put up with you?" Gwen asked him.

"Who, Jack? He needs to know there's someone better than him," he smirked.

"Really?" Gwen poured sarcasm into the word as she shared a look with Tosh. "My money would've been on that he needs someone to blend in with the monsters."

Owen opened his mouth to retort but shut it again as a noise began grinding before the TARDIS vanished.

"Well, so much for that," Tosh said in disappointment. "I really wanted a look."

He crossed his arms, leering at Tosh. "I never took you for a voyeur."

Tosh kicked his chair out from under him before he saw it coming. Sprawled on the floor, he looked up at Gwen for backup, only to see her smirking smugly. Deciding discretion was the better part of valor, he beat a hasty retreat. "Bloody women," he muttered as he stalked out of the room.


	4. Chapter 4

The Doctor paced around the console, poking at things and pulling levers. He stopped in front of the monitor, leaning down to stare at it.

"What are you looking for?" Jack asked, stepping up beside him.

"When I said goodbye," and he paused for a long moment to collect himself. "When I saw her last, I had been tracking down all the holes left between the universes after Torchwood fractured the whole thing. I used the last one to project an image through." He smiled sadly. "Ironically, the message ended up at Bad Wolf Bay. But that doesn't matter. Anyway, I thought, and rightly so, that I had closed all the holes left by Yvonne."

Jack noticed the bitterness in his voice. "So? Could one still be open?"

Frowning, the Doctor watched the readouts. "I don't think so. An open fissure would give off all kinds of anomalous readings, and I just don't get that kind of disturbance. Besides, Rose shouldn't have the technology to project between universes."

"How do you know, Doctor?" Martha asked, having followed the conversation.

He smiled tightly. "Because it's Time Lord technology."

The words were barely out of his mouth when the TARDIS began powering up. Startled, the Doctor grabbed his rubber mallet and banged on the console. The unmistakable sound of the ship dematerializing got everyone's attention. "No, no, no, no, no, NO!" he shouted, pulling levers and spinning dials as quickly as he could.

Jack began assisting as the women grabbed the railing. "Where are we going?" he asked as the Time Lord continued his frantic adjustments.

"I don't know."

They were thrown from their feet as the TARDIS jerked hard before settling. The Doctor was the first one back up on his feet. He tried to look away as one of the panels opened in front of him, illuminating him with a familiar golden light, but his gaze was drawn back unerringly.

"Doctor!" Martha screamed as she saw the mesmerized alien. Jack caught her as she tried to rush past him. "Let me go!"

"I'm a little more indestructible," Jack said, holding her tight until she relented, recognizing the validity of his argument. He let her go and ran toward the Doctor. Blinking at the light, he tried to grab his friend and pull him away while keeping his eyes clamped shut. However, the Doctor was rooted as firmly as a tree. Jack fought, but the Time Lord might as well have been a statue.

The Doctor knew that looking into the heart of the TARDIS was dangerous, but he couldn't pull his gaze away. He knew what was going on around him, but he couldn't look away. A familiar warmth wrapped around him, and he inhaled slowly, luxuriating in the safety. The light faded quickly, and the Doctor was aware of nothing else.


	5. Chapter 5

Mickey ducked as another volley of bullets rained past his cover. "Rose!" he shouted. "Report!"

"I'm just lovely!" she shouted back. "Where did these buggers get guns?"

"When I find out, there'll be seven kinds of hell to pay!"

The aliens that they were up against were not technologically superior, although their quick grasp of firearms demonstrated their intelligence. The Rift let all sorts of odd creatures through, and these hadn't even been named yet.

Mickey sensed his chance, and leaving the boulder he'd ducked behind, dove for another one that was closer to Rose. He could see her from this vantage point. Her black special ops jacket didn't reveal any damage, but she was leaning heavily against the tree she was hiding behind.

"Ammo?" he called.

She looked down. "Two more after this." Slamming the clip home, she peered around and fired three shots off quickly. A howl indicated her good aim.

Mickey fired his own weapon, watching to see another of the creatures fall. Pulling back and listening, he pinpointed the four remaining aliens. Twisting around, he shot again. He listened to Rose repeating his action, and as a result, he heard two fewer weapons returning fire.

"How many do you count?"

"Two more."

Pulling out his mobile, he flipped it open. "Jake? Where's that backup?"

A strange whistling preceded a thunderous boom. "You mean that backup?" came Jake's cheeky response.

"Yeah." Waiting for a few seconds, he listened for any more shots being fired. When he didn't hear anything, he quickly scrambled over to Rose. "Where'd you get hit?" he asked.

She slid down the tree, holding her arm. "One of them winged me," she said ruefully. "It's not bad, Mick."

"Yeah, well, let me be the judge of that," he said, trying to pull her jacket off.

"Just cut the sleeve off. It's cold out here, if you hadn't noticed," she grinned, the tip of her tongue between her teeth.

Seeing her smile let Mickey relax a bit. "All right. It's not like your mum won't kill me for you getting a cold, either." He pulled out a sharp field knife and took care of the sleeve. A quick look let him relax further. It was a fairly deep graze, but nothing lethal. She'd probably go home with some stitches and another cool scar to show off to her little brother.

"I told you it wasn't bad."

"You tell Jackie that." He pulled a roll of bandages from his field medical kit. Putting pressure on it, he tried to ignore the hiss of pain as he finished. "Done."

She opened her eyes. "Why is it that the shallow ones hurt more than the serious ones?" Rose asked as Mickey helped her up.

"No idea." He led her back to their vehicle. "I'm driving back."

"You're just afraid of my driving," she teased.

Grinning, he nodded. "You better believe it, babe."

He tried to drive carefully, knowing that the bumps would aggravate the aches in her arm. Keeping an eye on her, he noticed that it was no doubt a very painful wound. Her eyes kept closing after any jarring from the road. "So, hospital or home?"

"Home. We'll just call the doctor from there."

Mickey shook his head. It sounded weird to hear those words come out of her mouth and her not mean the Time Lord. She had adapted remarkably after the goodbye. He knew some of it was trying to drown herself in work, but Rose's spirit was too strong to simply waste away pining. He was proud of her, and he knew that the Doctor would be, too.

He pulled up in front of the Tyler residence. Rose was out of the vehicle quickly, although Mickey noticed that she wasn't particularly steady on her feet. Lending a hand without really appearing to, he led her into the house. Jackie met them at the door.

"She got hurt again? I swear, you two will be the death of me. Well, don't just stand there. Get her in here. I'll call Dr. Borden. He's the closest. I don't suppose you managed to get out of there unscathed?" she asked, looking toward Mickey.

Stunned, he realized that she was waiting for a reply. "I'm fine. She just got grazed, so she should be okay."

Seeing nothing other than the bloody arm, Jackie kissed Rose's pale, chilled face. "The temperature's really dropped out there. I'll put some tea on."

"I'm fine, Mum. You don't have to call the doctor right now, okay?" Rose shook her head as Jackie disappeared into the back of the house. "She doesn't listen to a word I say, does she?"

"Nope," he laughed. "Let's get you settled."

She collapsed heavily on the sofa. Easing her arm down, she sighed and let her head drop back.

"Come on, then. Give me your coat."

Rose shook her head. "I'm still chilly. I'll take it off when I warm up. I don't want to get blood on Mum's furniture."

"All right." Mickey took his off and laid it over the back of a chair. Sitting, he frowned toward Rose. There was something about her behavior that was eating at him. Nothing he could put his finger on, but something was wrong. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"You're as bad as Mum. There's nothing wrong with my arm that won't heal in a week or so," she insisted.

"If you say so."

Jackie came back in with a handful of towels. "Tea's on. Now let's see that arm."

"Let's just wait for the doctor. Okay? It's fine. Mick did a great job bandaging it."

More alarms went off in his head, but he couldn't see anything wrong with her. She certainly was calm, though.

"Did anyone call Dad?" Rose asked. "It's about time for him to be home, isn't it?"

"Yes, and he's on his way." Jackie sat down. "Ever since you ran off with the Doctor, you keep coming home in pieces."

"This is hardly his fault, Mum."

Mickey heard the steel in her voice. He opened his mouth to comment when he heard running feet. Knowing little Davey's tendency to rush headlong at Rose, he stood and intercepted the boy, scooping him up.

"Rose!" the boy squealed. "Let me go, Mickey."

"Rose has an owie," Mickey explained. "She needs you to be really easy, okay?"

"Davey, I'll hug you after the doctor leaves, okay?" She sighed at the woebegone expression on his face. "Come here." Reaching out, she ruffled the boy's hair. "Love you, you little monster."

"Love you too, you big monster," he returned with the expected response.

"Come on, sweetheart. The tea should be done, and there's biscuits in the kitchen," Jackie said. The boy squealed again and raced out of the room.

"What's wrong, Rose?" Mickey asked in a low voice after they'd left.

"Nothing."

"Seriously."

Rose looked into Mickey's eyes and saw how serious he was. "Where's this coming from?"

"Because the only other time I've ever seen you this calm is right after the Doctor said goodbye."

She smiled enigmatically. "Let's just say I know I'll be seeing him again." When he frowned skeptically, she chuckled. "You don't want to know."

"If you say so."

"Things have a way of working out, even if it's not the way we expected," Rose said. She listened. "Is that Dad?"

Mickey looked out the window. "Yeah, that's him."

"Good."

Pete rushed into the house. "Rose? Jackie?"

"In here, Dad."

He slowed down when he heard her voice. "Are you okay, honey?" he asked from the door.

"Just got winged. I've had worse from sparring."

"Good." He dropped a quick kiss on the top of her head. "Where's your mother and brother?"

"They're in the kitchen."

As soon as Pete left, Mickey saw the deep sigh that Rose let out. Suddenly suspicious, he frowned at her. "It's really warm in here. Let me take that coat."

"No."

His doubts grew exponentially. Not caring that she had refused, he knelt beside her and ripped the coat open. The white blouse she wore underneath was scarlet with blood. Rose smiled sadly into his stunned face.

"I told you that you didn't want to know."

"Rose…"

Shaking her head, she sighed again. "If I'd been in the hospital when it happened they couldn't have saved me. It's just my time."

"How can you say that?" he asked, tears forming in his eyes.

"Because one thing I learned from the Doctor was that nothing lives forever. Even he'll die eventually."

"I'll call … someone! There has to be someone!" he cried.

"No, Mickey. There's no one." Her eyes lost their focus as her head started to fall back. "I'm happy. I got to see my family again."

"Rose, you can't leave me. You can't."

"I love you, Mick. I've always loved you, even if it wasn't the way you wanted." Giving a little laugh, she closed her eyes. "I see him. I can see him, Mickey."

The joy in her voice forced sobs from his throat. "I've got to get Jackie."

"No. Let them remember me as laughing and joking." Opening her eyes one more time, Rose smiled brilliantly. "Do this for me. Tell them I love them. Just do that. Please."

At that moment, there was no way that Mickey could deny her anything in the world. "I love you, Rose."

She sighed and closed her eyes again. As she exhaled her last breath, a golden mist left her mouth, similar to what the Doctor had done when he was regenerating. The last thing Mickey heard was, "Death will bring us together."

Pete and Jackie found him crying over Rose's body a few minutes later.


	6. Chapter 6

The Doctor knew that looking into the heart of the TARDIS was suicide. He'd already regenerated once as a direct result of that action. However, he could feel nothing wrong with him as he fought his way back to consciousness. A quick inventory of his teeth informed him that he had not regenerated again. Inhaling, he could tell that he was lying down somewhere. Opening his eyes, he saw that he was in the medical bay.

He sat up quickly, noticing that there were no uncomfortable aftereffects of his brush with the vortex. Looking around, he saw the evidence that someone, most probably Martha, had been looking after him.

Thinking of Martha brought back the events that led to him waking here. No one was with him, and his clothes were gone, with the pair of pajamas borrowed from Jackie's friend Howard in their place. A grin appeared before he could stop it. Jack probably had a ball changing his clothes.

He looked up as someone walked in the door. "So, I guess you enjoyed …" His voice trailed off as he saw Rose Tyler walking toward him.

"Hello, Doctor."

"It's impossible," he whispered hoarsely.

She grinned. "And you do the impossible before breakfast. Although, to be fair, you had nothing to do with this one."

Staring at her, he reached out. "You're here." He grinned maniacally. "You're really here!"

Her own smile faded. "Yes, I am, but there's something you need to know."

"You're here. That's all I need to know," he said, sliding off the bed and heading toward her, arms open to hug her.

She backed up quickly, hands out. "I'm sorry, Doctor."

Hurt, he stopped. "What's wrong, Rose?"

"I can finally give you forever," she said sadly. "But there's a price."

"There's always a price."

Standing face to face, he raised his hand to touch her.

"I'm just an image. No touch."

Hearing his own words thrown back at him, he flinched at the physical pain they caused him. Unable to help himself, he reached his hand out and put it through Rose.

"I can give you forever," she said again helplessly.

"What about your family? How did you get back?" he asked.

"Death will bring us together."

His legs suddenly couldn't support him as his mind quickly connected the clues. He choked back a sob as he clamped his eyes closed, trying to deny the truth. "You're dead in Pete's World," he finally rasped.

"Yes."

He looked up to where she was sitting on the floor beside him. "How?"

"Does it matter?"

"So, you're dead? Really, really dead?"

She smiled. "It was my time."

"So why are you here? How?"

"The Bad Wolf showed herself one more time." Rose sighed as she reached toward the Doctor, frowning as her hand passed through him. "By absorbing the vortex, I linked part of myself with the TARDIS. You told Margaret that the ship was alive. It just proved it."

The Doctor stared at her. "So, you're tied to the TARDIS?"

"'Til death do us part. The TARDIS's, anyway."

They sat on the floor, staring at each other. The spell was broken when Jack walked in.

"Hey, Doc, you're awake…" He stopped and stared. "Holy shit!"

"Hi, Jack. You're looking well."

"Rose!"

The Doctor stood up, watching out of the corner of his eye as Rose got up with him. "It's not quite what you think, Jack."

"It's Rose. That's what I think." His face split with a wide grin as he headed to hug her.

"No!"

He went right through her. The Doctor smiled at him sadly. "She's dead, Jack."

"What the fuck?"

Rose looked at him and nodded. "Yep. I'm dead."

Tears welled in his eyes as he tried to take that in. "But you're here?"

"Forever."

The Doctor took off. Jack shook his head. "Why do I even bother?" he asked her as he took off after him.

He was startled to see that Rose still beat him into the control room. Hearing Jack's steps pounding behind him, he tried to get started before too many interruptions.

"So what … are you doing now?" Jack panted.

Rose peered over his shoulder. "It looks like he's trying to find a way to make me a body that I can actually interact in."

The Doctor stared at her. "How did you know that?"

Smiling smugly, Rose taunted, "Oh, didn't I tell you? I know what the TARDIS knows."

"Cheater," the Time Lord muttered under his breath.

"Yep."

"Doctor! You're awake," Martha called happily from the door. She rushed over only to stop short. "Oh. Hello."

"Hello, Martha."

Startled, Martha stared at the blonde woman. She took in the closeness of the Doctor and Jack. "Rose?"

Rose smiled. "I didn't realize anyone would know who I was."

"Oh, he talked about you."

"Really?" She grinned at the Doctor, who ignored her. "I wish I could hug you right now."

"How about I do it for you?" Jack offered with a lecherous grin.

"Why can't you hug him?" Martha asked.

"Because she's dead."

"WHAT?"

Rose walked through the console to Martha. "I'm dead. The TARDIS has its very own ghost now."

"Death will bring us together."

"The Doctor said he only chooses the best," Rose said quietly. "So how long were you with him?" she asked, drawing the girl away from the two men.

"It's kind of hard to tell. To me, it was only a few weeks. To my mum, it was eighteen months. And then another year on top of that," Martha said. "So, you died?"

"Yeah." She saw the look of horror in the girl's eyes. "Hey, don't do that. It was my time."

"You're, what, twenty? Twenty-one? And it was your time?"

"Twenty-four, but who's counting?" Rose smiled. "One of the first lessons I learned with the Doctor was mortality. Mine and everyone else's. He even died once for me." She smiled lovingly toward the Doctor, who was still working at the console, looking adorable in his pajamas and with his hair going every which way. "Not everyone's destined to die quietly in their beds at ninety."

"You were out trying to save the world, weren't you?"

Rose nodded. Looking toward the Doctor again, she dropped her head, forcing Martha to strain to hear the next words. "I've been living on borrowed time, anyway."

Martha reached for her, only to shudder when her hand passed right through Rose. "How do you mean?"

"Do you know what happened at Canary Wharf?"

The young doctor had a flood of emotions and realizations slam into her. Her own grief, the grief that she watched the Doctor suffer through, her own petty jealousy when she found out that Rose was blonde, and finally the realization of what the other girl had gone through. Martha had left the Doctor voluntarily; Rose had been ripped away from her whole life. Looking at the devotion that she was showing, Martha couldn't imagine that she had gone easily. Even death couldn't separate her from her Doctor. "He loves you, you know," she said with a slight smile, feeling the last of her own envy melt away.

Startled, Rose shook her head. "Nah. That's too domestic for him. Nothing can pin him down."

"Seriously."

Rose smiled sadly. "I know the Doctor loved me as a friend, but I'm not egotistical enough to think that it was romantic. And you know what? I don't care. It was enough that I could love him every way I could. He needed it." She frowned. "You know, I was the first one to travel with him after all the Time Lords died." The blonde looked a little startled at that realization.

"Really? I mean, he told me about the Time War, but I got the impression that it was a really long time ago."

"You got him to talk about it? How long did that take? I mean, it took me months to get him to open up with any kind of details," Rose said, amazed.

"Well, I kind of sat down five billion years in the future and refused to leave until he told me," Martha admitted a little sheepishly.

Her laugh was loud and unexpected, drawing the Doctor and Jack's attention. She ignored them, leaning closer to Martha. "Oh, I've got to hear this one."

Grinning, Martha supplied the details of her exploits with the Doctor. "So, how long did you actually spend with him?"

"Oh, absolutely no idea. It was more than two years by my mum's time, but it didn't seem like that to me." Rose glanced over, noticing that the Doctor was paying attention to their conversation without giving himself away. "Of course, you had the advantage of having the talkative one. My first one, getting him to open was like pulling teeth."

"Your first one?"

"You know about regeneration?" Rose asked.

"Yeah. The Master did that. The Doctor said it was kind of a trick that Time Lords used to cheat death."

"Well, I saw his last regeneration. Talk about a shock. Watched the man I'd spent months with suddenly change faces." Rose grinned. "It was the change of wardrobe that was the biggest shock," she said, raising her voice just enough to make it audible to the men.

"Oi! I died for you, and you complain about my choice in clothes?" the Doctor griped, struggling to keep the smile off his face. When Rose broke down in giggles, a huge grin spread across his face. "Blimey I've missed you, Rose Tyler."

"Hey! Don't I get a say in this?" Jack asked, watching the interaction.

"You're just upset that you can't manhandle me like you did before," Rose teased back. "I know bloody well you only did it to get the Doctor jealous."

"Oh, is that right?" Jack grinned, rising to the challenge. "And who was it that smuggled the hypervodka on board and then proposed a game of strip poker to old big ears?"

"Standing right here," the Doctor said, trying hard to look hurt. "Waking up like that? I didn't have much choice." Staring down Rose, who was laughing hysterically, he returned, "And besides, I never heard you complaining when we danced."

"Wait a moment. _You_ danced?" Martha said, whirling on the Doctor in shock.

"Not this particular form, although I'll have you know, I still have the same moves," he said defensively.

"I really wish I could see that," Rose said, feeling her joy from a moment before start to fade a bit.

The Doctor felt his own glee easing. "Speaking of wardrobes, I should really get dressed," he said. He retreated from the room suddenly, leaving the others staring.

"I'll be back," Rose said before vanishing.

Martha looked at Jack. "So, is she going to keep doing that? Just popping out on us?"

"Probably." Jack sank down into the pilot's chair and buried his face in his hands.

Martha felt tears well up in her eyes as she crossed to him and threw her arm around his shoulders, hugging him tightly. She felt his grief as he shook with the sobs.

"I'm sorry that she's dead."

He cried for another couple moments before sitting up and sighing. "She always was the best of us. We, and I mean the Doctor and I, had a certain callousness toward death. She had this innocence that made her seem invincible." Jack rubbed away the last visible traces of his grief. "I was just talking to her, and now I'm describing her in past tense. Hanging around the Doctor is hazardous to your vocabulary." His smile was weak.

"I wish I'd known her before. I mean, before this," Martha said, rather surprised that she meant that.

"I literally found her hanging from a barrage balloon during the London Blitz. Union Jack tee shirt bright as day as German bombers flew all around her," Jack laughed. "Jeopardy friendly. I've got to remember that." He pulled Martha in for a tight hug. "Sorry. Didn't mean to go on about her and you're standing right here."

"Hey. Grieve now. You might not get a chance later," she returned.


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: I apologize for the long absence. Work, life, and kids' activities have kept me hopping. I hope this will please those who have been reading along. Thanks for the several people who tagged this story as one of their favorites. Also, thanks for the three that reviewed. Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Enjoy._

The Doctor stomped around his room, throwing his clothes on hurriedly. Dealing with Rose's death and arrival at the same time was not easily handled, and he really didn't know how to deal with it. Companions didn't come back, and they certainly didn't come back like this. Running his hands through his hair, he sighed and flopped down on his bed.

"So this is what your room looks like," Rose said quietly.

He sat up and stared at her.

"The TARDIS told me when it was safe to come in." At his blank look, she pointed to his clothes. "It told me when you were dressed."

"Rose, I…" He flew off the bed and paced around. "I… You…"

Smiling wryly, she said, "Well, for once I have you completely speechless."

"You're dead."

She frowned. "So are a lot of your companions. So are all your family, your planet, your whole race."

"Yes, but they're gone. I can't see them. I'm not …" He shut his mouth, stopping the flow of words.

"You're not what?" she asked.

"Nothing. Never mind."

"You mean they're not here to remind you of your failures?" Rose asked, her voice hard.

"Yes."

"My death was not your fault," she said, speaking slowly as if to a small child. "I died doing what I chose to do."

"Rose Tyler, Defender of the Earth," he drawled, the sarcasm making the title sound bitter.

"Yes, I was. I died making sure that aliens slipping through the Rift didn't kill innocent people. So what? How many times have you died, Doctor? How many times have you given your life for people who will never even know your name?"

"I can regenerate, you can't!"

"And that makes those sacrifices less meaningful?"

He dropped his head, sinking slowly onto the bed. "You weren't supposed to die, Rose. I sent you back to be safe."

"And when will you get it through your thick head that once we fall in with you, all of us are safer with you, not away from you."

He scoffed.

"You bloody stupid alien. You opened our eyes to life outside our little worlds. We can't leave things alone. Look at Sarah Jane. She carried on. I'd bet that others did exactly the same thing." Her voice dropped a little and took on a pleading note. "You make us better, Doctor. You can't condemn us for continuing what you started."

He shot off the bed and paced around the room frantically. "But I'm supposed to welcome you back on board the TARDIS? You're a living reminder that I've failed you again!" Stopping suddenly, he whirled to stare at her. "Scratch that. You're a _dead_ reminder." Walking through her deliberately, he left the room.


	8. Chapter 8

Jack had just gotten his composure back when the Doctor came flying back in. The Time Lord ignored everyone, stomping up to the console. Slamming buttons and jerking levers, he took out his anger on the control panel.

"Um, Doctor, where are we going?" Martha asked timidly.

"Anywhere but here."

With that vague answer, she and the American wisely stood back and let the Doctor do what he wanted. The TARDIS engines ground noisily, and the rubber mallet's persuasion was a little less loving than usual. The humans shared a look, and when Jack jerked his head toward the living quarters, Martha was quick to follow him.

"What happened to him?" she whispered as they headed back to his room.

"Don't know. Don't know if we're meant to know," Jack said. He stopped in front of the door to Martha's room. "Listen. Get dressed. I don't know if there's any lasting damage from that exposure to the vortex, so we're going to stick close to him. Grab Donna. I got the impression that she's probably a good one to have on your side. Anyway, explain the situation." He hugged her quickly and pressed a quick kiss on her lips. "Thanks for being there."

"Got it." Martha changed clothes very quickly and went to find the redhead. After searching Donna's room and not finding her, she headed for the kitchen next. She walked right in to see Donna slipping a cell phone in her pocket.

"There you are. Listen, the Doctor's awake and there's been some seriously weird stuff happening," the woman said quickly.

"You're telling me," Donna muttered.

"Come on, then. His behavior has been very erratic since he woke, and me and Jack would appreciate it if you would help us keep an eye on him."

"What is it today? Someone just hang a chump sign on my back?" Donna griped. "Do I look like a bloody secretary?"

Martha frowned. "Do you really want me to answer that?"

"Of course not. Give me a moment to get ready. I'll be in my room until we're ready to go."

The woman watched her stomp out. Chalk up another one to odd behavior. Shrugging, Martha ran back to find Jack.

"She didn't seem particularly pleased about it, but she's going to help us."

"Good. We need all the eyes we've got on him." Jack sighed. "Ready? I heard the engines settle just a minute ago."

"Yeah." She walked around the corner and knocked on the door. "Donna? Are you ready?"

"Just a minute," she said shortly. The door jerked open just a moment later and the harried redhead peeked out. "All right, all right. I'm coming."

Jack didn't bother answering. Escorting both women quickly back to the control panel, they followed the Doctor out the door.


	9. Chapter 9

Donna woke from her troubled sleep. She knew that something weird was going on, well, weirder than normal. Getting up and dressing gave her something to do.

She slipped out to the kitchen. It was a mess, so she began straightening up. Those people had been taking care of the Doctor since he'd looked into that … light. It was disconcerting to see him that still and quiet. Martha, as she'd introduced herself, had been in charge of monitoring him. Apparently she was a doctor, although what she knew about aliens remained to be seen.

"Donna."

The redhead whirled around, staring at the blonde who suddenly appeared.

"Who the hell are you?"

"My name is Rose, and I need your help."

"Rose? The Doctor's friend was named Rose …" She looked at the girl. "You're her. You're that Rose, right?"

Smiling ruefully, she nodded. "Yeah."

Donna frowned. "So what can I do for you? I mean, why don't you ask the Doctor?"

"Because I can't."

"And I'm supposed to do something that the Doctor can't?"

"Yeah."

Crossing her arms across her chest, Donna leaned against the counter. "Just what is it that I'm supposed to do?" she asked coolly.

"I need you to make a phone call."

"That's it? Why don't you do it yourself?"

Rose smiled sadly and reached for the nearest chair. Donna's eyes widened as her hand passed easily through it.

"How'd you do that?"

Shrugging, Rose admitted, "I'm dead."

"No you're not!" Donna said.

"Dead as a doornail. I'm a ghost." Rose smiled again. "Boo."

"Bloody hell! You're a real ghost? I mean, really?"

"Really. Now, all you have to do is dial and hold the phone to my ear. I'll take care of everything else."

"All right then," the redhead shrugged. "So, who do I call?"


	10. Chapter 10

Sarah Jane Smith frowned as her mobile vibrated in her pocket. The man that she'd been tailing disappeared around the corner, and she really didn't want to go through trying to find him again. Checking the name on the screen, she frowned again. Thrusting it back in her pocket, she took off after her prey.

Ignoring the second vibration, she took off running, racing for the spot she'd last seen the man. Rounding the corner, she slowed her steps when she saw that the man was gone. Feeling the third call coming in, she yanked out the mobile and opened it.

"Thank you, whoever you are, for helping me lose the man I was tailing, so this had better be important."

"Sarah Jane? This is Rose Tyler."

"Rose?" Sarah's demeanor changed instantly. "Oh, dear, has it come to this already?"

"Not quite. It's kind of a long story."

"I'm sorry?"

"Never mind. Is there any way you can meet me at the TARDIS?"

"Just give me an address and I'll be there."

"And Sarah?"

"Yes?"

Rose's laugh came across the line. "I'm sorry that you lost your guy."

"We'll discuss it later."

She jotted down the address and took off. It had only been a few months since she had left Rose and Mickey with the Doctor after the school adventure, but she knew very well that it could've years for them since she'd seen them. It only took a few moments to make it to the park where she heard the engines grinding. Her mobile vibrated again.

"Yes? I'm here," she panted.

"Wait for the Doctor to leave. He'll have two women and a man with him. I need them gone."

"Got it." She tucked the phone away and watched as the TARDIS materialized under some trees. As soon as the noise died down, the door opened and the Doctor and his entourage took off. She noted quickly that it was the same form that she'd seen the last time, although she didn't recognize either of the women. The black-haired man looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn't think of where she might have seen him. Sarah watched for just a moment until she was sure they were gone.

The doors opened for her as she walked up to it. "Hello?" she asked quietly as she peered around the dimly lit control room.

"Come in. He's gone." Rose stepped out from behind the console. "Hello."

Smiling, Sarah relaxed. "I'm sorry that my first reaction was that the Doctor was gone."

"He is gone, but not quite the way you think." Rose sighed. "I'm dead, Sarah."

"Nonsense. You're standing right here."

"I'm a ghost."

A laugh burst out of Sarah. "This is a new one," she said. "I was expecting that your friend Mickey blew something up."

Rose walked forward slowly, drawing the older woman's attention finally. The railing ran right through the girl's body.

"Oh my," she whispered, her laugh trickling off. "What happened?"

"It doesn't matter." Rose shrugged. "It was my time. I don't begrudge that. However, I need your help."

"How can I help you?"

"I need you to talk to the Doctor."

"Why? I mean, he was so devoted to you. Did that change?"

Rose sighed. "He wasn't there to save me. Now, because the TARDIS brought my spirit here, he can't handle that I'm here to remind him of that."

"Where was he that he couldn't help?" Sarah asked quietly.

"Did you hear about what happened at Canary Wharf? With the Cybermen and the Daleks?"

"That just happened. I mean, just a matter of weeks." Sarah frowned. "I knew that he had to be there."

"We both were. I got trapped in a parallel universe. I lived there for a while with Mickey and my mum. That's where I died." Rose paced around, ignoring the odd looks that Sarah gave her when she walked through something.

"And why would the TARDIS bring you here? If you're dead, then shouldn't you be gone?"

"This form wasn't the first one that I traveled with. My first Doctor wore a black leather jacket and had a northern accent."

"He said he'd regenerated half a dozen times since I'd seen him. And I saw him regenerate once, too."

"Anyway, I was kind of responsible for his last regeneration. He faced a whole fleet of Daleks by himself."

"Typical," Sarah snorted. "What did you do?"

"He tricked me into going back home, so I kind of hijacked the TARDIS."

Laughter burst out of Sarah. "I knew you were a match for him," she gasped finally. "So when did you learn to drive it?"

"I didn't. I looked into the heart of the TARDIS."

"You didn't!"

"Yep. I saved him, then he took the vortex back to save me. And then he changed." Rose sighed. "Taking the vortex in my head created a new entity called Bad Wolf, which I guess was me, in a weird way. I became part of it, so when I died, the TARDIS pulled me back. I'm here for the duration."

"I am so sorry, sweetheart." Sarah's eyes glistened with unshed tears. "So, what do you want me to say to him?"

"I don't know." Rose paced around again. "He's taking on guilt for things that he bloody well shouldn't. I don't know how to make him understand that I'm to be a blessing, not a curse."

"Well, I'm not sure how I'm supposed to convince him of that when you can't," Sarah said slowly. "I watched the two of you interact. I'm not sure how to describe it, but there was something there when he looked at you." A grin crossed the older woman's face. "Twenty years earlier and I'd have fought you for him."

Rose smiled back. "I love him. I love him now as much as I did when he burned up a star to tell me goodbye in another universe. I love him like I did when I watched him die for me."

"He told you goodbye?" Sarah whispered.

The ghost nodded. "Yes. I know that it wasn't smart of me, but I can't help it. I felt like there was something completed me when he grabbed my hand and said, 'Run'."

Sinking down into the pilot's chair, Sarah Jane looked up at Rose. "He never says goodbye."

"I know."

Inhaling deeply, Sarah knew what she had to do. "I'll talk to him."


	11. Chapter 11

_No claims are laid on these characters._

_A/N: I wish to blame the delay in updating this on many things, but life just has a way of interjecting where it's not wanted, and procrastination never helps. Thank you again to those who have reviewed this story. All input is appreciated._

London in this time period contained too many memories for the Doctor, and he really wished that the TARDIS would stop bringing him here. He stalked around, knowing that he had three very unsettled companions dogging his steps. There really was nothing to see here, and the normal city streets were not the crystal mines of Iota Draconis IV that he'd programmed into the navigation system.

Just once he wished that he could find it in himself to face his past. He'd admitted to the Daleks that he was a coward, but no one knew just how scared he was. Facing down Cybermen and the Jagrafess and Davros and the Master were nothing compared to having to face Rose Tyler.

He loved her. He tried to tell himself that he loved her just the same as all his other companions, but he couldn't. Rose was different, and quite frankly, the Doctor did not handle different well.

It was the smell of chips that broke the barrier. He stopped dead in the street, eyes closed as he sniffed again. Martha, Donna, and Jack gathered around him, asking if he was all right. It took that concern for him to open his eyes, literally and figuratively.

"Doctor?" Jack asked, very suspicious of the wide grin that reached all the way to his dark eyes. "Are you all right?"

He looked around at his friends. Yes, he considered them his friends. "I truly think I am," he said brightly, and then turned and dashed back toward the TARDIS.

There was a freedom to be felt in the running. He could feel the wind rushing past him blowing his coat out behind him. He still had no idea how he was going to handle Rose, and he knew it wasn't going to be pretty at times, but for once in his long life, he had something worth fighting for and he was going to face it squarely.

Of course, that was before he saw the woman sitting on the bench beside the TARDIS. He slowed down, knowing who had called her and pretty sure what she was doing here. "Hello, Sarah Jane."

"Hello, Doctor."

Hearing the others trying to catch up to him, he pointed toward the walking trail. "Walk with me?"

She glanced at the three people bearing down on them and stood quickly. "I believe I will," she answered.

They walked in silence for a few moments until they were certain that the others were staying by the ship. Circling the park once, they finally sat on a barrier wall, staring back toward the TARDIS.

"She called you."

"Yes."

There was another long pause. "She didn't need to do that."

"How did she die?"

The Doctor looked at his former companion. "She won't tell me." He sighed. "Maybe I don't really want to know."

Sarah hesitated, almost afraid to bring up the next subject. "Rose said that you told her …"

"Told her what?"

"She said that you told her goodbye." Sarah looked up into the ancient brown eyes.

He looked away, staring at a bird that had landed on a nearby bush. "I burned up a star to do it."

"You never say goodbye."

"I know. But I had to."

Sarah Jane hugged her arms to her chest. "You love her."

He nodded. "It scares me. That's why it was easier to send her home than to risk her life. I sent her home twice. And still she kept coming back for me." He cleared his throat before continuing. "She called me 'her Doctor'. She wanted me to be safe. She promised me forever."

"And she delivered," the woman said. "Rose Tyler delivered the impossible."

"And my first thought was selfishly to hurt her because I wasn't there to save her this time." A sardonic grin appeared at Sarah Jane's surprise at his admission. "Oh, yes. I can see the fault in my behavior even when I don't want to deal with it. We laughed and hugged and ran for our lives and all the while I knew that it had to end. But I didn't care. I was too stuck in the moment to bloody care how she would suffer."

"Doctor, this isn't your fault."

"You know, you humans keep spewing that at me, but you won't face facts. It is my fault. I could've avoided this in any number of ways. The first of which would have been to simply walk away from her the first time I saw her."

"But how can you know that this isn't precisely how it's supposed to have happened?" Sarah asked. "Are you omnipotent that you can predict the future?"

"I'm a Time Lord. That's as close as the universe gets to omnipotence."

Sarah Jane ignored the foolishness of that statement. "So, do you have any idea of what you're going to do?"

He nodded. "I'm going to apologize and see if I can salvage this." Throwing an arm around the woman's shoulders, he hugged her tight. "I know how hard it had to be to be able to help Rose so selflessly."

Self-consciously, she shrugged. "It was nothing."

"Nonsense. I know how you feel. Again, lack of acknowledgement does not mean lack of observation." He pressed a chaste kiss on top of her head. "And certainly not lack of reciprocation, even if I was too dense to do anything about it."

She laughed derisively. "You're thirty years late, Doctor. But I appreciate it."


	12. Chapter 12

_This story wound up quicker than I expected. I tend to drag them out far past where they should end, but this one wrapped up nicely. Again, thanks for the reviews._

Rose watched the others traipse into the TARDIS. The Doctor wasn't with them, so she kept out of sight. There were certain advantages to her new form, and she was sure that more bits would become apparent as she adjusted to her new home. It was nearly twenty minutes later when the Doctor finally entered.

He walked up to the console and set new coordinates. Rose looked down at his somber expression from her viewpoint inside the glowing tower.

"I know you're there, Rose."

She sighed and stepped out. "Come on. I can't even sneak up on you now?"

He met her gaze. "Probably. Well, maybe."

They were silent for a long, uncomfortable moment. "I'll leave you alone," she said finally and started to fade.

"No, Rose…" he said, trying to catch her hand and frowning when his hand passed through hers.

"It's better this way."

Biting back his first instinct to run, the Doctor closed his eyes and gathered his composure. "Meet me in the library. We need to talk."

Rose nodded and vanished. He sighed, shaking his head and staring at the spot where she'd just been. This would not be easy.

She got there long before he did. Tears burned in her eyes, although this form couldn't shed them. The sensation was still there, and it annoyed her. The TARDIS was large enough that she could avoid him most of the time, so she could have an interesting life. Rose choked back a sob. Her life was over.

He opened the door and faced her. "Rose."

"Doctor."

Walking over and sinking down into the overstuffed arm chair beside the fireplace, he stared into the fire. "You didn't need to call Sarah Jane."

"You wouldn't listen to me."

The Doctor flinched at the hurt in her voice. "I know you won't believe this, but I was actually coming back to do just that."

"I believe you," Rose said.

They were silent. "How did you die?" he asked finally.

"Surrounded by family."

"What happened?"

"Something from the rift got lucky."

"Why won't you tell me?" he demanded, standing and pacing around the room.

She appeared in front of him and forced him to look at her. "Because that is the one thing in this whole mess that you cannot take responsibility for, and I will not let you shoulder this."

"But I left you there. How am I not responsible?"

"If you had found a way to come back to get me, would you have?"

"Of course."

"And is it still impossible to get back and forth?"

"Yes, it is!" He ran his hand through his hair. "Rose, you're dead!"

"Yes, I am."

They stood toe to toe, frustrated in this stalemate. He closed his eyes and counted to ten, then twenty before speaking. Rose beat him to it.

"I'll lose myself in the TARDIS," she whispered.

"No! That is not acceptable!"

"Well, I can't think of many other options!" she shouted back. "I can't exactly let you dump me on the nearest planet!"

"That's not what I meant! You'd think with this gob I could say something constructive without completely mucking it up, but apparently that's beyond me!"

A choked laugh erupted from Rose, although she tried to stifle it. The Doctor looked down at her, a hint of a smile on his face. "I don't want to lose you again, Rose. And that is something I wanted to say."

"Then, what was all this?" she asked, cautiously hopeful.

"This was me not being able to say anything worthwhile to someone who deserves it. Rose, I'm sorry you're dead, but the result gave you back to me, and you'll always be the same and you'll never leave me, and I'm so incredibly selfish in my joy in that fact."

A smile grew slowly as she weighed the Doctor's words. "I really wish I could hug you right now."

"We'll just have to work on that then, won't we?" The Doctor turned toward the door. "You may come in now."

Three faces appeared as the door swung open. Martha looked equally embarrassed and happy, while Donna and Jack just looked on with grins.

"It's about time, Doc," Jack said, slinging an arm around the Time Lord. He glanced at watch. "You know what? I've got a crew that's probably about to send out search teams, so I need to get back. Can you drop me in Cardiff? And preferably not from a great height."

"Spoil my fun, will you?" the Doctor joked. "Martha, do you want to go back? You're more than welcome to go with us."

She glanced toward Rose before answering. The ghost's face was lit up with a big smile. "All right. I'm game."

"Hey, no one going to ask my opinion?" Donna snapped. She frowned at the group before relenting. "Oh, all right. The more, the merrier."

"All right. To Cardiff."

A universe away from the reunited comrades, a single yellow rose was laid on a fresh grave plot. There was a temporary marker at the foot, since the permanent headstone was not ready yet. Mickey Smith blinked away tears and pulled a card from his pocket. Placing it on the small wooden plaque, he wiped his face and turned away.

As he walked away, a single raindrop hit the card, sliding across the words.

_My Rose. May she spend eternity in the stars where she wanted to be. _

He never set foot there again.


End file.
